South Hillsborough County resident Alert!

The South County Transportation plan includes several new roads through rural areas which we have previously opposed and which are contrary to the Ruskin Community Plan:
- Projects #40, 43, & 44 would widen 24th St. south of College Ave to 4 lanes, extend it south to a new 4-lane east-west corridor from 24th St. to 301 (24th St SE is the road that leads to Camp Beyou!) . If this was done, they would expand the Urban Service Area and our rural area would be opened to urban development.
- The Bypass -- a new "Beltway" planned to loop through the rural areas, it will open up the Rural lands for Urban Sprawl, paving over the agricultural lands with subdivisions filled with commuters jamming our inner roads as they drive from far-flung suburbs to jobs, shopping & services in the urban core.
The county Parks Dept. objects to the Bypass and several other roads on this plan in a strongly worded letter listing 10 preserves that would be heavily impacted. See it here:
http://www.box.net/shared/7jo20l5gmd
This monster highway and other proposed roads would rip through several nature preserves, fragmenting essential wildlife habitat, affecting natural water flow through wetlands, and impeding the county's maintenance program of controlled burns. We have been investing our taxes over the last 20 years in assembling ecological connections and wildlife corridors in a system of nature preserves in the south and east parts of the county, and this Plan would intolerably damage that system.

Please attend one of these 2 public meetings on the South County Transportation Plan.
This is an important opportunity to provide public input before the Plan is adopted.
Spread the word.

Tues., Oct. 23, 6:30–8:30 pm
South Shore Regional Service Center
410 30th Street SE, Ruskin, FL 33570

Wed., Oct. 24, 6:30–8:30 pm
Riverview High School Cafeteria
11311 Boyette Road, Riverview, FL 33569

It's best to show up in person, write down your comments and turn them in at the meeting.
If you e-mail comments, be sure to ask that they be included in the public record for this Plan Amendment: CPA 08-13.
Send comments by e-mail to all:
G. "Wally" Blain <blaing@plancom.org>
Joe Zambito <zambitoj@plancom.org>
Ned Baier <BaierE@hillsboroughcounty.org>

What's in the South County Transportation Plan?
See the map:
http://www.hillsboroughcounty.org/pgm/transportation/resources/publications/maps/finalrecommendations.pdf
Read a list of projects:
http://www.hillsboroughcounty.org/pgm/transportation/resources/publications/maps/finalprojectlist.pdf

This notice abbreviated from email received from Mariella Smith. Read the full story at
http://sticksoffire.com/2007/10/16/roads-to-sprawlville-on-new-transportation-plan/